Parameters: One sentence max, though you may semicolon your heart out. And be honest with the details; I can’t be the only person who had a clumsy/awkward first kiss.
Expected response time: By Monday morning.
If you had to choose deafness or blindness, which would you choose and why? Your responses will help me shape my lyrics.
Expected response time: End of the weekend.
First, I made a list of what I would miss most if I became deaf or blind. Then, I remembered the phrase dumb, deaf, and blind. Made the “and” an “or,” imagined I had a choice between the three, and created a song debating the options. Enjoy!
Dumb, deaf, or blind
If I was struck with a curse to be
dumb, deaf, or blind.
I’d choose to be dumb
and have a damn good time.
Cause the blind never see the autumn leaves.
They can’t see it coming, whatever it is.
No playing catch with their brothers in the yard.
They can’t see a woman’s hair bounce in the wind.
CHORUS
The deaf, they never hear any laughs or cries.
They don’t have baseball on the radio to help pass the time.
And I would never trade my lady’s heavy moan—
the sound she makes when I do something just right.
CHORUS
The blind never see the flush in people’s cheeks
or their rolling eyes.
The deaf don’t get the Star Spangled Banner
or the cannon fire.
The dumb drink all they want
and holler when a girl is fine.
They ain’t got much upstairs,
but they still have their ears and eyes.
CHORUS
Beautiful woman
I won’t deny that you are the most
beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
But unlike all those other boys
I won’t go wobbly at the knees.
Just accept that I’m a man
you can’t defeat.
If you swallow some of that pride
and stop looking down at me.
I can promise you, darling,
I’ll give you something you need.
Chorus
I ain’t a stallion you can break,
but I can be ridden hard.
Give me my due respect,
and I’ll take you far!
Chorus
You hang the pelts of strong men
on your mental walls.
Well, that ain’t no skin off my back;
I’ve tricked hunters like you before.
Chorus
Little fox
Oh, I bet you think you are pretty
sly, my little fox.
Slinking out the den at night
silent as a knife.
Oh, where do you go my little fox?
I’ll find that den and smoke you out.
That other man is gonna pay with fire
for breaking up my house.
What am I supposed to think
when the bed sheets are cold?
Ever morning I wake up
with no one to hold.
Oh, where do you go my little fox?
I’ll find that den and smoke you out.
That other man is gonna pay with fire
for breaking up my house.
Oh, little fox,
I was good to you.
Oh, little fox,
you cheat.
You ain’t welcome back no more—
see how sly you are without me!
Spare some love
I never thought I’d fall for someone like you,
someone cold, but looking for some room
to grow, and you can grow in my arms.
But in return, I need you to spare me some of your love.
Your love is all I need in my dreams.
You forget how you bled on this floor,
this killing floor, and how I mopped up your hurt.
And you always laugh when I return,
but I ain’t going anywhere until you spare me some of your love.
Your love is all I need in my dreams.
We’re riding down the river of give and take,
and you’ve made sure the current only flows one way.
Tear down your dams and all those bitter walls.
Like a beggar, I’m begging for you to spare me your love.
Your love is all I need in my dreams.
What does it mean to love a woman like a man (as opposed to loving like a boy)? There’s inherent confusion in this question. I do NOT mean how does one love a woman by treating her like she’s a man. I mean, how does one love a woman as a man—after one stops behaving like a boy? What bad habits as boyish lovers do we drop as we become men? What does it mean to love a woman with maturity? There are obvious benefits to this emotional aging, but is there also something lost?
I’ve already started writing the song, but I’d love to hear some strangers’ experiences. Will help with writing some of the verses.
I’ve committed reverse-inspiration. I answered the following question from ttimshel with a song:
Hypothetically speaking,
if you only had one opportunity to tell someone you loved them before they moved away, would you? if it meant jeopardizing your friendship, putting your real feelings out there, being exposed of the risks involved - they either accept or decline - would you do it?
i am not in this situation but if i were, let’s just say, i wouldn’t know what to do. what would you do
Worth the risk
I played out the scene
a hundred times in my mind;
I got up the courage to tell you
I wish you were mine.
But you left on that train,
and I haven’t heard from you since.
Now everyone asks,
“Was it worth losing a friend?”
I say I have no regrets,
and if I could, I’d tell you again.
Love is a reward that’s worth the risk,
a gamble I’ll take again, and again, and again.
When you didn’t say, “I’ll stay,”
I felt the pain on my face,
but my heart started healing
the moment you stepped on that train.
Better to put you to rest
than never know.
A life of “coulda been”
will rot a soul.
I say I have no regrets,
and if I could, I’d tell you again.
Love is a reward that’s worth the risk,
a gamble I’ll take again, and again, and again.
The only way we control
the way our story unfolds
is to be all in with our chips
on love’s risk.
Have you ever been betrayed by a lover? How? Your story could be the base for my next song. Thanks in advance for sharing.
Thanks to icameisawicame for an answer to my last question:
yes.he cheated on me at the festival,with some country bumpkin
Now, inspiration is a coy friend. I’m not sure why, but when I read “festival” and “country bumpkin” together, I instantly started thinking a state fair. And then my mind jumped to that game where you swing the sledgehammer; turns out that attraction is called a high striker. I followed my wandering thoughts; the metaphor of a hammer and a bell were too good to resist. In a future recording, I’ll probably add a bell sound at the end. My listeners should notice, though, that I added a baseline to this song and the solo doubles in stereo through both ears (yes, listen with headphones). Not bad considering I only had two hours. Enjoy!
High striker
I haven’t seen you in years,
since that date at the state fair,
when I lost you in a strongman competition
for your hand.
I paid a quarter to try the high striker,
and swung the hammer just for fun.
The next man who paid his quarter
swung to strike the bell.
And when it rang, baby,
you fell under his spell.
When you walked by me
the other day.
I noticed you
noticing me.
Well, I ain’t a boy anymore:
my hands are big and scarred.
As big and scarred
as my heart.
Now, though I learned to be strong,
I didn’t learn to be cruel,
and I know you remember
how good I was to you.
So let’s imagine we’re back at that fair,
and I’ve got a hammer, and you’ve got a bell.
Yeah, high striker,
why don’t you let me ring that bell?
Thanks to a-fiercesome-thing-to-behold for tonight’s inspiration. She asked the question:
What do you do with old jewelry an exboyfriend gave you?
Here’s an answer an ex-boyfriend might have, in the form of a song.
Ring
When you left me baby,
I didn’t even cry.
But I hope you keep that ring I gave you.
So a part of me is always by your side.
We didn’t split on the best of terms,
but I bought that gold when we were ripe.
Keep it as a sign of what love can be,
when love’s done right.
The pawn shop might give you
a pretty penny for the loss.
But a reminder of what good love is
seems too rare to just toss.
CHORUS
Maybe we weren’t meant to be,
but that ring could grow with you.
It might make you smile
when you’re old and lonely and blue.
CHOURS X 2
Baby, you do what you want with it—
I wouldn’t Indian give.
I just hope you choose to keep it
‘cause I’ll never forget you
and the good times we had.
Tonight’s inspiration came from Te0uanJ’s question:
Would you trust the person you’re with, knowing that they cheated on their previous bf/gf?
I took the question one step further; how could you trust the person if they cheated on the previous partner for you? The recording could be much better; it needs a second vocal track—but, alas, I have to work tomorrow and must sleep.
If you could leave him
Well I stole you at midnight,
when you slipped out the door.
When the car crossed the state line,
you said “I don’t need that man no more.”
And you looked to me and smiled,
and I smiled in return;
I was hiding the truth I knew:
that if you could leave him, then you could leave me;
that if you could leave him, then you could leave me.
He wasn’t bad to you—
you tell me your life was a bore.
A bird in a cage you were,
‘til I asked you to soar.
And I’d like to ask for loyalty,
but I already know:
Yeah, I know the truth:
CHORUS
Well, times are good right now;
you’re here in my arms.
But a man’s days are always numbered
with a woman like you:
A woman so free
she loves so cruel.
I know the truth:
CHORUS
Today’s inspiration comes from an entire blog I stumbled upon: weliveforjelly-tots. It’s full of beautiful images, many of insightful graffiti. One such post showed the words “wake up and live” in black ink. I ran with it. I bought myself a used Tascam DP-01fx (a digital 8-track); I am clearly still figuring all the features out. Unfortunately, when I master the song, it sounds great with the headphones plugged right into the machine, but when it transfers to the computer there is some quality loss. Still, I’m pretty pleased by this considering I got the machine in the mail yesterday. I recommend listening with headphones. The average laptop speakers will not relay the heavy distortion very well. Enjoy!
Wake up and live
It’s never too late
to find yourself.
You just got to accept
you need to be found.
Wake up and live
Goin’ through the motions,
but you might as well be dead.
Darlin’, why don’t you let me
get inside your head?
Wake up and live
Wake up and live
You live so careful,
you’re afraid to breathe.
Take a chance on life,
take a chance on me;
you know, you’ve got
to gamble to win.
Wake up and live.
Today’s inspiration comes from a very simple question asked by sally-okay:
Knowledge or wealth?
I’m not sure that I’ve answered “knowledge”, but I definitely said no to wealth…at least for the situation I imagined. I know that most girls in my life wish they were a Disney Princess. I’ve always thought that life didn’t seem as great as the movie’s make it out to be. My song shares my reasoning. Enjoy!
A Princess problem
Well, you were born
with your nose in the air.
Gifted pretty dresses
and golden hair.
But I know your secret,
the one you’ve never told:
You’d trade in all those dollars
just to know:
That you’re loved for being you,
and not for your dowry;
that you’re loved for being you,
and not for your wealth.
Suitors come to you,
like moths to a flame.
No, they come to you,
like gamblers to a game.
They want a taste
from that silver spoon.
The one that’s choked you
and left you so blue.
CHORUS
Well, yours is a Princess problem,
one of the First World.
But privilege can’t dull the pains
of a sad girl.
You’ve had everything
except for the one thing you want:
a good man
that you can trust…
CHORUS
